Bewitched
by Syrus Magistus
Summary: A flaw in the Four Seasons seal causes the Kyuubi no Yoko to be released. It seems that there was far more to the seal that they ever imagined before.
1. Bewitched

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Anime/Manga _Naruto_, nor any of the characters in it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. I'll only say this once.  
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To be clear, I am not the original creator of this story. The original story was abandoned a couple years ago and can still be found on AFF under the name "Enchanted" in the Naruto section. I am taking this old fanfic in a new direction. It's still a little choppy, despite several revisions. I hope to smooth it out and finish the story completely in the coming months. Also, I've changed the title a couple of times and now I'm back to the original working title I though I'd use but decided against for several reasons. Since then I've warmed up to the idea, clearly.

* * *

**T**sunade had studied the Scroll of Seals and all of Yondaime's notes endlessly and there was nothing. No clue at all as to what might be happening to Naruto could be found.

The weak and weary-looking blond lay tangled in the bed sheets of his hospital suite, surrounded by the various friends, mentors, and figures of authority that one would expect to find during such a crisis. The seal on his belly pulsed erratically, in time with heart. What scared her truly was the slow fading of that mark.

Naruto was dying. Moreover, it looked as though the prison containing one extraordinarily powerful monster was about to fail. Why this was happening was not entirely clear, although the injuries Naruto had sustained in battle may have contributed significantly. For days, they had tried desperately to contain the demon within. Many different techniques had been employed, yet all in vain.

A dark look marred the Hokage's beautiful face. Tsunade was worried. More than anything, she wasn't sure whether she had the skill to heal Naruto. He carried with him the founding Hokage's necklace, and had survived the death curse associated with it for this long. That did nothing to quell the uneasiness in her gut every time she thought about and weighed the gravity of the situation.

There was only so much his body could take before it succumbed to illness. His body temperature had reached feverish heights and he struggled for every breath of air. His vitality simply refused to come back, though neither did it fully leave him. The Four-Seasons' seal had weakened to the point of collapse, and nobody in the room had quite the knowledge of seals to repair it.

Only the Yondaime, who summoned the god of death in a technique that all but died with him would recreate such a masterpiece. The third Hokage was also dead, along with all of the Uzumaki clan, save one. Even Jiraiya, for all his savvy with sealing magic was still unable to devise an adequate solution.

Naruto had been trapped for days in this nightmarish purgatory, caught between life and death. It seemed their worst fear might soon be realized. The fox spirit was bound to seek retribution for his entrapment. Tsunade's helpless gaze landed on the room's other occupants.

Kakashi stood stiffly at one corner, his face unusually solemn, despite the mask. He had arrived just a moment too late and found Naruto already unconscious. Sasuke was nowhere to be found, and Sakura was already too hysterical for debriefing. The girl had calmed down, but the story still seemed strangely incomplete. And where was Sasuke now? The thought troubled him, but not as much as this.

Sasuke might have run away, but Naruto was so close to death. His skin was pale and drenched with sweat, his face contorted in anguish. It wasn't the sort of thing any teacher knew how to cope with. Iruka was slumped beside him. Only Jiraiya had the courage to say what need be said.

"Tsunade… I know this is unbearably hard to consider, but… you're going to have to make a decision. The seal is slipping and Konoha cannot defend itself from the demon fox. I know he means a lot to you, and to all of us, but… but as the Hokage, you must think of the village. As shinobi of Konoha, we all must think of Konoha's safety."

Kakashi felt his blood run cold. He continued to look sadly at his student. He was partly to blame for this. Sasuke and Naruto were rivals yes, but he never thought for a moment that the Uchiha might have tried to kill his teammate. The fingernails dug into his palms as he took in the Hokage's grim visage. Iruka had not moved from his place. He knew deep down what had to be done, but his heart could not accept this answer.

Iruka rose and came to Naruto's bedside. He tried several times to speak, but each time the words caught in his throat. Many more failures allowed him only a hoarse whisper. "Is there _nothing_ we can do t…to save him?"

Tsunade shook her head. She looked upon the precious child that lay dying on the bed, trying hard to hold back her tears. Despite great effort, her voice was cracked. "Maybe it's Naruto's destiny. Yondaime died to protect his village from ruin. Ironic, that his heir should share the same fate…"

The boy seized and coughed again, until a trail of blood ran down from his lips. Tsunade ran her hand above his chest and preformed another diagnostic with her chakra. Naruto was almost stabilizing, but that damned seal uncontrollably radiated something foul and destructive that was poisoning the boy. The pure, unfiltered chakra of the nine-tails was leaking, and it wasn't at all how she or the only other expert in the room, Jiraiya, expected it to. This chakra's behavior was weird, and it contradicted everything that either Sannin knew of chakra. It acted as though it had a mind of its own! But more than that, the seal was breaking in a strange way.

_'Why_,' the Hokage thought gravely, '_why him? Why so suddenly?'_

Her words resounded hollowly in the minds of all.

The old man shook his head and pointed. "That isn't a related physical injury, Tsunade. Look," he scooped up a portion of it on his finger and presented it, "this is ink. The seal is opening, but not in the way Yondaime, nor any seals master would have designed it to in the event of an injury."

A heavy blanket of silence fell, so think that could have suffocated them. They stared at a boy whom they had all come to cherish, laying still on what seemed to be his deathbed.

"Jiraiya…" the Hokage's eyes narrowed a little, but the toad hermit interrupted her sentence before it began.

"If you're thinking of using the seal's key, I've already thought of that. The Four-Seasons' seal isn't behaving as it would under to ordinary circumstances. The Injury Naruto received was grave, and it weakened the prison considerably, however…" his eyes narrowed too, "that shouldn't have damaged the seal this badly."

Suddenly, a light erupted from Naruto's body. Its brightness doubled each passing second, until it was too much to take in. And then there was a quiet, even graver than the one that possessed that hospital room in the hours prior. There was an unnaturally calm, and the luminosity evaporated. Naruto was still breathing, but the color had left him and his eyes were screwed shut, and he appeared to be in lots of pain.

"Tsunade, there isn't much time." Jiraiya prompted.

"I know that!" Tsunade barked back. "Uzumaki Naruto was an honorable ninja of Hidden Leaf. His strength and determination has saved the village from ruin and brought broken spirits back to life. He will always be remembered." Tsunade spoke solemnly, as a swirling ball of emerald light burst to life in hands. It gave off a gentle hum as it spun.

**__****"****_Powerful words for such pitiful beings._ **_Now, back away from Naruto."_

Once said, these words engendered an eerie calm. This deep and airy drawl was almost reminiscent of… Kakashi scanned the room, even uncovering his Sharingan eye, but no one else was present, not yet. His head was playing games with him.

And it seemed he had not been alone in noticing. But everybody else had trained their eyes on Naruto. The boy was changing. It looked unpleasant. The room grew cold. Seething red and blue chakra burst out of the gaping seal and dispersed into a fine mist that filled the room with murderous intent. The boy still lay within the bed as the chakra began to take human shape. It was _him_.

The sight of that resplendent man inspired a kind of awe and terror all at once. His face was young and sharp, framed by long red hair and possessed of dark, unpleasant eyes. Upon careful examination, he actually looked a somewhat like Naruto, but also somebody else- at least, someone Jiraiya and Kakashi had encountered once or twice before.

"Don't jump to conclusions. There is nothing wrong with the seal. It functioned as it was meant to. Your fourth Hokage created it to release me after thirteen years' imprisonment," he chuckled, "and you were so ready to kill your favorite kid ninja to stop it."

Not awaiting any questions, he set to healing Naruto's body. He smiled faintly as the birthmarks on Naruto's cheeks faded, and a radiant glow replaced them.

"Beginning today, I will take guardianship over Naruto."

Tsunade opened her mouth to protest but the kyuubi raised a hand to silence her. "I have _seen_ life through Naruto's eyes and I am displeased by what I saw. This one is the scion of a man I have begrudgingly come to respect. I was pleased to see that similar traits run deep in his offspring, despite everything that happened to him."

He sat against the bed beside his former host, bearing with the authority of a shinto god. "Naruto would be under my protection as often as possible. I will take to training him when he has no other duties to fulfill. Under my eyes, this child will become strong."

His gaze came level with Tsunade as he continued. "His progress as a ninja shall not be hindered. Should I find any opposition to Naruto in your council, Tsunade, I will see to it that they understand they are in no position to argue."

The kyuubi smirked amusedly when he saw the Hokage's face. She was making a colossal effort to remain calm and professional. "You may speak your mind now," he said calmly, waiting for her to organize her thoughts. Finally managing to quell her anxiety, she stared defiantly into his molten eyes.

"Don't toy with me!" She seethed. "Naruto… Naruto is an adult. And this village is and has always been his home. He doesn't _need_ your charity to become powerful. Naruto is already strong! Who the hell allowed you to come here and issue demands? Monster!"

The great demon sighed and looked coyly back at her. Sometimes he wondered why humans insisted on being so bothersome. They possessed neither the skills nor the wisdom to consider themselves dominant, and yet he did not want to dwell on this topic. He was becoming increasingly annoyed by their foolishness. Patience was no virtue to him. "What I require of you is perfectly reasonable and will render no harm to your precious settlement. For your compliance, you would have me as your agent and your protector. If not, I shall take the boy with me and see to it that he is tended to as he deserves. I am willing to lower and degrade myself to the point of joining your ANBU division to strengthen this village. However, the child shall be raised according to my design. This decision is not negotiable. Accept my offer or Naruto leaves with me."

Tsunade was not sure what to do. She could not defy the kyuubi to readily without great risk and the demon did appear genuinely concerned for Naruto's welfare. And as a part of ANBU, Hidden Leaf's overall power would increase. Yet she still could not bring herself to trust the creature. Its explanation of the seal did not seem realistic. Bringing the nine-tailed fox under control again would require additional time and preparation. It was dangerous to do anything in this situation, but for the time being it seemed frugal to allow the demon to believe its demands were feasible.

"I agree to the terms your conditions, so long as you won't hurt anyone in this village."

"Can you guarantee that nobody in your village will try to hurt Naruto?" The Kyuubi quirked an eyebrow.

This demon was trying her patience. "Of course I can't!"

The demon returned her expression with another look that betrayed nothing.

"I cannot guarantee no harm will come to them."

The Hokage understood what he meant and nodded. The demon fox smiled serenely at her, but the expression bore no warmth. Softness entered his gaze only when his eyes fell upon Naruto. Taloned fingers came forth to caress the young man's sharp, masculine face, however as soon as his fingers touched Naruto, the illusion shattered.

The sunny blond glowed a frosty blue, almost blinding in its brightness as before. After the light dissipated, collective gasps echoed across the room.

On the bed still lay the youth. Long, rich locks of hair curved about the features of that face. Dense eye lashes fanned the full cheeks as they fluttered for a moment. High cheekbones stood out beneath the pale and flawless skin. Even the kid;s bone structure had been altered. The body's figure looked more fragile. Long, slender fingers curled into the sheets as a low-pitched moan escaped from the child's throat.

Kakashi came forward, as did the others. They watched as the body that replaced Naruto so suddenly remained quite unconscious. Iruka's eyes widened incredulously. Tsunade, being a medic, took a moment to digest the sight. Jiraiya let out a disbelieving whistle. The Kyuubi chuckled in amusement.

"That confirms my suspicion."

Tsunade snapped out of her revere.

"What is the hell is this? What happened?"

The demon smirked as he traced his hosts smoother features.

"Yondaime was wise. He knew that Naruto would not live an easy life. He knew his child would be the constant target of his enemies. Maybe the seal had another purpose. It seemed to have maintained a high level technique. The appearance of my host was altered. Now that the seal is gone, the illusion seems to have dispelled. I suppose human males are safer from most dangers than the females, aren't they?"

Jiraiya looked from Naruto to the kyuubi and back again. "Did you know about this?"

The demon continued to look at Naruto, pulling his fingers gently through the sudden bounty of hair. "No, and I do not believe Naruto did either."

Kakashi sighed and mumbled. "It figures. He always did scream just like a girl."

Tsunade rubbed her temples vigorously. "This is going to take some getting used to."

It was Iruka who abruptly pointed out the obvious, what made the others present falter in their train of thought. "How in the **hell** will Naruto even _begin_ cope with this?"

But it was Jiraiya whose thoughts were darkest of the group. Not one part of this entire set-up made any kind of sense in context. _'Even Naruto looks significantly different, despite the significance change. It's like nothing I've seen. What really happened here…?'_


	2. Reality: Rejected

**A** very sharp kunai was pressed hard against the slender column of his throat, his body slammed against the wall- again hard. He had never experienced this kind of speed before. Simply put, it was inhuman. Kakashi's visible eye grew wide. It had been some time since anybody had managed to get the drop him. He stared into the impassive golden eyes and he wondered what had angered the demon lord. Although the monster's face betrayed no emotion, Kakashi knew there was anger behind it. Or maybe it was only slight annoyance? He couldn't quite make head or tails of that expertly bland expression, but that hardly irked him. Kakashi kept his cool.

"Kakashi," the Kyuubi hissed through clenched teeth as he let go of the copy ninja and smoothly walked out of Naruto's room. Silence indicated Kakashi should follow him. Even though he really did need to speak with Naruto, he did the demon's bidding. Kakashi glanced over to the blond girl sleeping cozily on a bed, tucked in tightly, almost meticulously, before he warily walked out of the room. Of the times he had seen Naruto sleep, his student had never borne such a secure expression.

As they arrived downstairs, Kakashi scanned around his surroundings appreciably. The Kyuubi seemed to have a knack for manipulation. Not only had he stopped essentially all council members from inhibiting Naruto's progress, but he managed to secure better housing and a hot salary. All in a matter of the five business days that Naruto had remained unconscious. It was only the other night that Naruto apparently managed to regain consciousness. She took one look at the Kyuubi and seemed to understand everything. She just kind of smiled and promptly fell asleep. If it weren't for the fact that Kakashi knew Naruto better that that, he might have let the matter go. But this was _Naruto_. Nothing was that simple when it came to him. Kakashi shook himself from his musings.

"You should respect a female's privacy," the kyuubi said, placing a cup of hot tea in front of him as he sat down. "The next time I find you appearing in her room, Kakashi, there will be real consequences."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and smiled. "Sorry. Really, this is all a little too unusual. Naruto's been my subordinate for a while already. But I'll keep that in mind."

The demon fox nodded amiably. "Since you're here, I have instructions for you. I have the approval of Tsunade, so do not challenge me." As a seasoned warrior and shinobi, Kakashi didn't fail to miss the _or else_ the fox left hanging in the air. "To everyone in this village and the world outside, I am Ryu Uzumaki, Naruto's older brother and her legal guardian. I was sent on an assignment before the infamous monster attacked and didn't return until I learned I had a living relative. I am currently a hidden leaf ninja and this is Naruto's new home."

Kakashi nodded slowly. The Uzumaki clan was already almost gone before the fox had been unleashed. In human form, Kyuubi might well have passed for a member of its ranks. This cover story was just plausible enough to placate most of the villagers. He looked again to find that Naruto's brand new 'guardian' rising from his seat, already finished with his tea. When the Kyuubi spoke again, his tone had changed.

"The next topic of discussion is Naruto's training."

Kakashi quirked an eyebrow. "What of it?"

The Kyuubi looked thoughtful for a moment. "Tell me. What became of that Uchiha child?" Kakashi visibly flinched. That was only the second time he had ever regretted coming too late. His reaction did not go unnoticed. "Is he already forgiven for his transgression? As I recall, it was to defeat him that Naruto asked me enough chakra release of his father's seal. And that lightning attack you taught the boy, it very nearly killed us."

Kakashi looked away. Naruto had somehow survived the seal breaking and now the most powerful tailed beast in the world had assumed the role of a guardian. What odd fortune. But the collateral damage to the village was extensive. He had sorely underestimated the two of them.

"They've placed him under extensive watch. ANBU agents are keeping their eyes on him. It's not as though we're taking this lightly."

The old monster nodded curtly, reclining now upon a settee as he resolved to carry on their conversation in a calmer, more collected tone.

"Your student lacks morality. A good warrior should know the difference between good and evil. The Uchiha kid allowed himself to become corrupted by his lust for power. He has done great harm to Naruto and her heart aches, as done mine."

Kakashi shook his head. "Sasuke is unstable. His elder brother mentally attacked him using the same powerful genjutsu I had fallen for not long before. It's a bloodline limit that controls time and space freely within the mind."

"The Tsukuyomi…" Kyuubi shook his head sadly.

"From Jiraiya's account, Itachi did a lot of damage to him even before that. It's not easy to move on from something like that, even with the sufficient medical treatment. Naruto is strong, and Sasuke has become daunted by his rival's progress, but this was never really about Naruto. From Sasuke's point of view, it's as if he hasn't grown at all. You are a wise creature. Surely you can help him somehow. Sasuke needs someone he can feel fear and respect for as a guide."

The demon sighed, "I will not train him. Your Sasuke is like a spoiled child. I might just as easily kill by him if I had to see his face again."

Kakashi's eyes leveled with the demon. "You can't totally blame him. He had a pretty tragic beginning."

The Kyuubi's eyes flashed for a moment and Kakashi swallowed. God, what was he thinking? Trying to argue with the kyuubi…

"I wouldn't argue with that. I never said the boy was at fault. Whenever a child strays, it is his elders who are at fault. Your prodigy is not strong. The strength of will and a righteous temperament are something even an advance bloodline cannot grant," he shook his head again, and again Kakashi felt strange looking at him. The shape, the voice, the mannerism… it was strangely reminiscent of somebody. "We are moving off the point of the matter. Uchiha Sasuke is not my concern but yours. I concern myself only with Naruto. She will be the sole recipient of my attentions."

"Naruto has already been trained by one of the Legendary Sannin. What more could she possibly need?"

The Kyuubi chuckled, a deep sound that seemed familiar enough that Kakashi forgot for a moment that he was speaking with the terrible, monstrous likes of Kyuubi no Youko.

"You ignorant fool! I understand your urgency, for you fear that clan's ominous history may reincarnate itself in Sasuke. Nevertheless, I have no such concern. As your subordinate, the Uchiha boy should be fine under your guidance. Remember though that fear and authority are not something to be abused in guiding children, nor would favoritism and bias do any good. Treating him like he was special was the very reason he struggles to comprehend what is right and what is wrong. If bloodline limits are so precious, I would say that Naruto far exceeds the worth of Uchiha."

His visible eye narrowed at this. What was the creature trying to say?

The kyuubi had seemed almost mirthful up to this point, but now his features became more serious.

"A genius is not born, it is cultured and made. A bloodline limit may enhance its power, but that cannot grant intelligence or wisdom. Greats minds must be nurtured, not taken for granted. The Fourth Hokage was a genius, the perfect example of good upbringing. Naruto shares three different bloodline limits. He possesses her father's, her mother's and now mine. These traits will all pass on to her children and from them to their children, yet you cannot call her a genius until you can see how her mind works."

He smirked at the Jounin sensei and said, "I have seen the inner workings of her mind. Being discouraged and emotionally beaten for almost all her life. She has focused herself more on keeping her facade up and maintaining her sanity then trying to improve her skills. It is all but natural that she is lacking behind. I intend to train her from now on."

Kakashi seemed to smile beneath his dark mask.

"I forget myself sometimes. I forget that Naruto has had it more difficult then any of us. I almost forgot instructor's bloodline limit. It was so secretive."

Shaking his head, Kakashi finished his tea, cold by now.

"Is there anything else, Youko-san?"

The Kyuubi nodded, gliding his fingers through his silky hair.

"Team Seven meets at seven in the morning, yet you arrive at eight-thirty. Therefore, I will be training Naruto from Five to Eight in the morning. I want you to send her back home by midday. She is to remain a member of your squad, however when you are not on missions and have planned only training for the day, I want you to send her to me so as I can train her myself."

Kakashi could only nod in response. The Kyuubi had issued an order. There no option but to follow.

* * *

Naruto snuggled deeper into the warm comfort of her bed. Curling up under the sheets, a blissful smile painted her face. There was a weight pressing down on one side of the bed. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking a few times as she focused her gaze on the person sitting on the bed. Her sleep-muddled brain took some time to recognize him before she stretched and murmured.

"Ohayou, Furball!"

"Ohayou, little one. It's time to wake up. There is training to be done."

At the prospect of training, the blonde sat up instantly. Her eyes sparkled brightly as she looked to the Kyuubi expectantly.

"So what are you going to teach me today? I bet its some cool technique, right? Right?"

The Kyuubi chuckled mischievously.

"Just wait and see, Naruto. Keep your mind here and now and get ready. Breakfast is done."

That said, the Kyuubi left the room. As he walked down the stairs, he pondered what Naruto's reaction would be upon discovering her true form. He knew she would going to make some sort of noise.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?"

And there it was. Sighing, he sat down, ruminating on his latest conversation with a lazy Jounin. Kakashi was a competent teacher, even despite his rather unorthodox teaching methods. He taught through trial and error, yet he did not understand that sometimes that methods were simply too risky. Both Naruto and Sasuke needed personal attention, epecially since they may well be the strongest ninja in the village. (If nothing else, they had more than enough potential to be. However that power should be carried with a sense of duty and responsibility or it would be of no use to the village.

Naruto needed to improve in her skills. She was very disciplined when it came to her morals and her ideals. No matter how bad the villagers might treated her, she would never betray them. Sasuke, on the other hand, had been trained and cultured in all aspects except morals. People needed to stop treating him as an Uchiha heir and start treating him merely as a shinobi who needed to be brought down a few pegs.

Frankly, he should not have been worried about Sasuke and yet his actions affected Naruto far too greatly for him not to care. His betrayal almost caused her to loose trust in everyone.

He heard soft footsteps heading toward him and turned around to see Naruto. Her face had gone pearl white, her eyes were glazed over and wide. The Kyuubi frowned.

"Naruto, what happened?"

There was a look of utter panic on her face and her eyes held a desperate and pleading quality.

"Tell me this isn't real, Furball. Tell me this is just Ninjutsu, please!"

The Kyuubi's eyes softened in comprehension. He regretfully shook his head, pulling the child to him, grasping her slender wrists.

"Your father was Konoha's Yondaime Hokage, the same that imprisoned me within you, but he also sewed in an illusion that would grow with you. The seal as supposed to break when you reached a certain point of your life and faced a near-death experience. Its lifetime was only 16 years."

Smiling down at her dumbfounded expression, he brushed some sunshine blonde from her forehead.

"It was for your own safety that he created this illusion. Being an orphan girl is very dangerous when many people are against you."

Crystalline-blue orbs clouded over with countless emotions as Naruto lowered her head and shivered slightly.

"I won't ask you to elaborate that," Her tone was an angry one now, "but what can I do now? What… how… I don't know what the fuck I'm supposed to do!"

Naruto's eyes continued to betray a myriad of feelings, all passing for too quickly to be read, ironically enough.

"Why did he pick me? Why, of all the people in the Hidden Leaf, did he pick his own child to go through this hell?" Her voice held no anger anymore, only a strange yet familiar sadness.

Sighing again, the ages-old demon brought the blonde onto his lap.

"He was the Hokage, little one. You want to be Hokage too, right? What would you do when faced with a similar disaster?"

"Wait a minute, fox! Wasn't it you that took him and everyone else from me? How the hell can you sit back like that and talk like some kind of saint? YOu killed them all! Why the fuck did you do that?"

The Kyuubi's face grew grim. "That's… complicated, Naruto. I don't quite understand it myself, but I know as much as to say that it was no plan of mine. My settings swiftly changed from the peaceful silence of my home, the void, to the forest bordering your village. The light and color blinded and enraged me. It was agonizing, even at night. The light of the stars and reflected by full moon was enought to burn eyes that had seen nothingness for aeons. I understand how little sense this may make, but I can only say that I never saw any of it. I felt energy, I smelled life, but I never looked upon any of it. All there was to me was pain and enough living energy to suffocate me. Nothing made sense after so long in utter isolation."

"You were summoned." Naruto said , recognizing what the Kyuubi did not.

"That is not possible. The small few who could accomplish such a feat draw breath no more."

"But you're here, aren't chya? It happened and nothing can change it, no matter how or why it did. People made choices and sacrifices. Some were wrong, some were right."

"So then what would you have done?"

Naruto thought for a moment before sad, yet proud smile graced her lips.

"Give it my all. I understand now."

The smile was returned in kind.

"I knew you would. Now let us return to the main issue. What will you do now?"

That smile faltered immediately and she shuddered.

"I can't go out like this! I'm not a girl!"

The Kyuubi was not expecting this and looked at his charge sternly.

"You cannot hide your true identity forever Naruto. What is so wrong in being female?"

Naruto looked at him.

"Everything! I don't know anything about being a girl and I sure as hell don't wanna be treated like a porcelain doll! It sucks!"

The Kyuubi growled at her.

"Don't raise your voice to me."

Naruto immediately clamped her mouth shut. His eyes glittered as he bore into her blue gaze.

"I understand that it will take a few days to adjust and I can understand your fear as well. However, you should always face your fears rather than running and hiding from them. There is only so much you can escape before it all catches up to you, Naruto."

He caressed her cheek softly.

"I will use a similar technique on you to make you as you were before. That will only be when you are in the company others. When you are training in the forest with me or when you are at home you will be as you are now. Is that understood?"

Naruto smiled brightly and nodded eagerly.

"But, this I will allow only for a month or so; until I am sure you are used to being what you are."

Naruto opened her mouth to argue, looking at him with pleading eyes, but the Kyuubi just raised a hand to silence her.

"No little one. I told you, you cannot hide forever. Do not argue. Finish your breakfast. Then we go to train. There is much for you to learn, child."

* * *

A patch of white and red zipped across Konoha. The Kyuubi wore a pristine white kimono whereas Naruto wore merely a red shirt and black shorts. As they raced across town, no one could trace their movements. They reached their destination with no trouble. Landing gracefully in the middle of a clearing, the Kyuubi spread his senses, searching for anything that might have a chance of interrupting their training.

Naruto did not have a team meeting today. It was her day off, so they would train throughout the day. Naruto landed beside him a few seconds later, heaving and gasping for breath.

"You are so fast, Furball."

The Kyuubi chuckled and dispelled the technique that made Naruto look like as she did before. Shimmering blonde hair flowed all around her. Naruto snorted in annoyance.

"I am cutting this damned hair off."

"Don't you dare." The Kyuubi growled. "You can always tie it up if it hinders your vision."

Naruto crossed her arms and looked sullenly at her guardian. The Kyuubi looked at her with a critical eyes.

"Now that you are calm, let us begin. First and foremost, some worthy advice might do you some good."

The Kyuubi sat down underneath a tree and motioned for Naruto to sit down before him. She grumbled a bit but sat down nonetheless. The Kyuubi smiled at her antics.

"Naruto, you have an intense desire to be strong but you are going about it the wrong way. Nobody is born strong,. Do you understand this?"

Naruto nodded, comforted slightly by the calming tone of the Kyuubi's voice. Somewhere behind her primary thoughts were those questioning this complacent reaction in her. For though Naruto's true identity had been revealed, her psyche was still that of a boy. That part of her strongly wanted to put some distance between itself and the Kyuubi. Old habbits die hard; old identities are nigh immortal.

"We will train six hours everyday. From the hours of five o'clock to eight o'clock, you will meditate. Meditation will strengthen your focus and set in motion the awakening of your bloodlines. It will give you patience and a yearning for calm and peace within and without yourself."

Taking note of the Kyuubi's serious tone, Naruto could only nod.

"Meditation in and of itself is relatively easy. This difficult is in achieving the level of relaxation and calm necessary for our specific goal. You must reach a level of consciousness wherein you are so aware that you can feel the world itself breathe as you feel yourself breathe."

Naruto tilted her head to the side quizzically.

"How am I gonna do that? Nature actually breathes?"

The Kyuubi nodded.

"Yes, everything around you lives and breathes. You can hear and see them breathe, but you must also feel them. Submit yourself to your surroundings, to nature."

Naruto frowned.

"This is for the bloodline you gave me, right? Your bloodline?"

The Kyuubi allowed the smallest of smiles to grace his featured. He was truly proud of his new student, this destined child whom he had grown so fond of.

"Yes, as a spirit of nature and so now are you. You must possess a healthy relationship with the many other spirits that linger around you. Remember: if nature is working with you, it is working against your opponents. Moreover, given that females are generally closer to nature than males, your home is already partial toward you. Use this to your advantage and grow faster than those before you could have possibly imagined. You have a gift, Naruto. Your ability to befriend even the most savage of beings is a powerful thing. Your raw potential is immeasurable and your heart is pure despite any past hardship."

Naruto chuckled lightly and nodded.

"Nii-san, when you say that nature is working against my opponents, does it mean that it will hinder their techniques?"

The bijuu nodded.

"Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, Lightning– no matter what they use, it will be very difficult for them to harm you. Meditation will also amplify your concentration. When fighting, you utilize various hand seals and attempt to access the correct amount of chakra. That requires concentration. Once you have obtained this amount of concentration though meditation, you'll have no need for any hand seals of any kind. It will take only one moment of perfect concentration to attack and no one would ever be able to analyze your techniques."

Her eyes grew wide in wonderment as she listened to every word he spoke as if they were the very essence of reality.

"Once you have awakened my bloodline limit, we will begin work on your mother's. With mine, you can use nature to your advantage without the use of any hand seals. Hers is slightly more difficult. The focus is speed in hers. One may not necessarily call it is bloodline limit. However, this will grant you an unnatural capacity for both Taijutsu and well as Kenjutsu. I will teach you a basic form of Taijutsu, although much more advance than anything you have learned up to this point. Afterward, you will receive all scrolls written and left to you by your mother. Lastly, you will learn your father's technique. That is a solid bloodline limit that you will have to work very hard on. You already have it partially awakened in your Rasengan."

Naruto nodded yet again. Eager and waiting to lean all she could. The Kyuubi smiled again.

"Good, now close your eyes and we shall begin."

* * *

"Why's Naruto late? He's never late!" Sakura grumbled to herself.

It had been a month since Naruto and Sasuke had fought on the roof of the hospital and still the brickhead had yet to regain consciousness. There were no missions and training eventually got boring with no one to entertain her. Sasuke was as silent as usual, although he did seem to loose some of his coldness. Nevertheless, the silence was almost suffocating and Sakura found herself wishing the blond would show up just to break the tense silence.

She felt slight twinge of guilt too. Ironically, it Sasuke who had recovered quickly from his injuries whereas Naruto was taking time to heal. It was the complete opposite of what usually happened.

Now Naruto was alright. He was supposed to be there at Seven and it was nearly Eight. Still, there was no sign of him. Even Sasuke seemed curious. Sakura crossed her arms and looked at the general direction from were Naruto was supposed to come. That boy was going to get the beating of his life if he did not have a valid reason for his tardiness.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun. Why do you think Naruto isn't here yet?"

The brooding boy shrugged.

"How should I know? The dobe might have just fallen back asleep."

Sasuke then closed his eyes, tuning Sakura's incessant complaining out the best he could. He, too, was wondering what had become of Naruto. The Hokage refused to say anything to him about Naruto flatly, claiming that he did not deserve to know. She said that Naruto was in no condition to deal with him.

_Tch… it's too bothersome to deal with Naruto anyway. _

He dug his hands into his pockets and waited patiently. He knew Naruto would show up nevertheless.

Sasuke immediately tensed when he sensed a presence behind him. He turned around to come face to face with Naruto. The other boy just raised an eyebrow at him, his whole expression that of utter disregard and indifference. When Sasuke failed to speak, Naruto just walked past him and sat down, calmly closing his eyes. Sasuke felt so many various emotions flowing through him at the moment that he couldn't even begin to decide which to focus on and speak from.

Sakura walked up to Naruto and lifted her fist as if hit him over the head for being late, but the boy swiftly caught her wrist in a hard grip. Words died on Sakura's lips at that one action.

"Don't waste your breath Sakura. I am late 'cause I chose to be. Kakashi-sensei isn't here yet anyway."

Sakura's lips tightened as she snatched her wrist from his grip and looked at him with a confused gaze.

"What's with you?" she asked with slight anger in her voice.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at his two teammates. The whole of yesterday, Naruto learned a many things the Kyuubi. He taught her she could not simply wear her heart on her sleeve. She could not act like a fool if she wanted anybody to take her seriously.

She could see Sasuke looking at her oddly, his normally impassive eyes were glittering. She wanted to laugh at him. It was good to see him ruffled for once. It was nice to see him getting hurt for once rather than her. Naruto's lips tightened into a grimace as he answered Sakura's inquisition with cold indifference coloring his words.

"I brought back your precious Sasuke, didn't I? Go and bother him. I'm not in the mood to handle your shit."

His words were painful, but it was the truth. Naruto did not care for Sakura and she would not allow herself to care about Sasuke, no matter how much her heart wanted to.

Holding Sakura's surprised gaze steadily, Naruto sneered.

"What?"

Sakura seemed to flinch, even looking into her eyes. Her eyes expressed her inner hurt that she was desperately trying to hide. Naruto felt no regret; no remorse that she was hurting one of her "good friends." They never hesitated, so why should she? Shaking her head, she just closed her eyes and expanded her senses.

Almost instantly, she felt peace and calm washing over her. Her senses not only tuned to what her teammates were doing but also what went on all around them. She knew seconds before Kakashi actually arrived that he would. She opened her eyes almost lazily and stood up and turned to the spot where Kakashi would appear.

Sure enough, he came, followed by the cliché puff of smoke.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Sakura yelled at him. Kakashi was about to respond when he realized only one loud voice had berated his tardiness. He lowered his book and looked at Naruto oddly until his visible eyes crinkled in a smile.

"And how are you doing today, Naru-chan?"

Naruto's eye twitched at the informal manner in which he addressed her. Smiling sweetly, she motioned Kakashi to crouch down to her level.

"Kakashi-sensei?" she whispered sweetly in his ear, "Next time you call me that, me again, I'll tell Nii-san what a pervert you _really_ are. Believe me, he won't like it."

Kakashi quickly straightened and grinned under his mask, scratching the back of his head.

"Alright, it won't happen again."

Naruto crossed her arms and nodded.

"Good."


	3. Chapter 3

**H**aving Kisame on his tail all of the time was not something Itachi particularly relished. Sometimes he wished he could just drive a knife through that fish-faced moron's throat. He cherished what solitude he was rarely given. It was true that they had to work in pairs but Kisame's constant attempts at conversation took him to the edge of his patience. Other Akatsuki members seemed to realize this and therefore decided that he could use a break.

So here he was, all by himself. Kisame had been given a solo assignment and he was free to do whatever he wished for nearly two weeks. He sighed heavily. Their ongoing assignment, Uzumaki Naruto, was a slippery character indeed. It was almost a mystery to him how a kid who was the dead-last of his class would to escape his grasp each and every time. It was like that boy had a sixth sense for danger. Then again, he was the container of a tailed beast.

Sometimes he thought the boy was more trouble than he was worth. Every time Naruto had surpassed his expectations. Every time he was reminded not to underestimate the boy. Akatsuki had warned him to bring Naruto before he grew more powerful than their organization could handle. Even Itachi didn't want him to grow any further, although fighting Naruto at his true strength was still very tempting to him. Now would have been an ideal time to get Naruto, yet he knew the boy was under protection.

He absently walked into a clearing, partially aware of his surroundings. His musings came to an abrupt halt when he felt that he was not alone. He let his gaze wander until it fell upon a girl who sat in that very clearing. His breath caught in his throat and, for the first time, he was taken by surprise. No, she was not the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, but she did come fairly close.

Long golden tresses curved 'round her face and her skin was luminous as the ray of sunlight that cut through the canopy and fell upon her. An aura of peace and serenity surrounded her and she looked so fragile that he feared she might shatter if he touched her, as though flesh was formed of the thinnest glass.

This was not what surprised him. What drew his attention were the blades of wind circling her in a small, silent cyclone that he could not sense so far as chakra signatures went. Her very presence pulled him to her, digging claws into his soul and dragging him to her.

He raised a curious eyebrow and knelt before her. Winds moved like sharp blades around her. A stray gust nicked his chin. He observed her pensively, noting absently that her whole being seemed to radiate a strange power. It seemed that nature responded to her, as though she were of demon blood.

For one so delicate, she had a deadly presence. He had never encountered human who could manipulate elements without chakra. It would mean that they could fight without hand seals. He'd have to be careful. There was no knowing what else the girl could do. She could be useful to Akatsuki in fulfilling their goals.

However, if he lifted a finger to her, the winds might well slice it off. Maybe there was some art to counter it. He was about to perform an Earth technique when a soft and assured voice spoke up, "If nature works with me, it works against you."

He stopped what he was doing and looked at her. Her eyes opened, revealing a vivid cerulean. More interesting were the pupils. Though big and round at first, exposure to light shrank them to slits. This caught Itachi by surprise. So she _was_ a demon. This was definitely a note-worthy find. Few demons revealed themselves to ordinary mortals and far fewer still were found by coincidence in their human guise

He raised a questioning eyebrow at her statement. Her eyes closed, hiding her apprehension from him instantly. It was strange indeed, to see no other tell. Her overall demeanor was calm and cool. Only her eyes disagreed with the general tranquility of her being. They shook frantically, darting in every direction. It gave Itachi the strange impression of another person trapped helplessly beneath her skin, terrified of all it saw. It gave him an uneasy feeling deep in his core. He did not understand this disquieting notion at all, so he just shrugged it off. He blinked and it was gone, bringing him to silently question what he just saw.

"Who are you?" He asked her.

Her brow furrowed briefly and an instant later her eyes snapped open. Then she disappeared with a poof of smoke. His eyes widened in surprise, but narrowed dangerously at what he heard next. From behind him, a very distinct chakra signature immediately appeared on his radar. The sound he heard was also distinct. He _knew_ that sound. He _recognized_ that chakra.

"_Rasengan!_" She declared, driving the ball of destructive energy square into Itachi's back. He too disappeared with a poof. _A shadow clone, eh?_ She expected as much. She vanished with the wind, leaving behind only an eerie whisper.

Itachi wasn't sure what to think. There was no chakra in the air when he first saw so it couldn't have been a transformation or an illusion. Either of those would require a constant use of chakra to maintain, something he hadn't sensed until just now. That was a real living body he had seen that radiated Naruto's distinct essence; Wind-nature with a hint of Fire. He didn't have time to pick apart what was going on however. There came another attack. She was behind him, though not for long. Itachi never missed a beat, quickly switching their places and pinning her to the ground.

He looked straight into her eyes and she hastily looked away. He knew she feared his sharingan. He casually grasped her chin to make her look into his eyes. Leaning forward he whispered to her, "I know who you are. You cannot hide from me, no matter what you do to yourself." He did not miss the shudder that coursed through her body and smirked. He brushed his lips lightly against hers and murmured against hers, "I will be back for you," and suddenly he came apart right before her eyes, scattering into a murder of ravens.

"What… the **_fuck_**… was that? Violated! I feel violated! That bastard had just kissed me! Gah, disgusting!" she swore. Shuddering a little she ran a shaky hand through her hair and closed her eyes. There was something new in Itachi's eyes that unnerved her; something that she had never seen before. It was something far more dangerous than the threat of death, something that was worst than death for her.

_What the hell's wrong with those Uchiha?_ She signed and shook her head. Her confusion was only deepened when she found herself looking into a pair of inhumanly deep, golden eyes.

"B-bro! You're back… early?" The demon raised an eyebrow, narrowing his eyes.

"What wrong little one?" It was clear to the Kyuubi that something was off.

She shook her head and rubbed her temples vigorously, "Nothing. Just tired is all."

The Kyuubi frowned. Naruto had a tendency to lock down if something was bothering her. She would clam up and not say a word to anyone. Her facade did not let anyone in and he was certainly no exception to that. He was even more insecure now that he could not see what happened to her or what she was doing at all times. He waited silently for Naruto to compose herself. "You realize that you can tell..." he drifted off when a peculiar scent reached his nose, his eyes narrowed at the familiar aura that lingered in the air and he growled.

It was the smell of Uchiha's wicked chakra. He could never forget that aura and scent. The missing-nin Itachi was among the greatest threats to Naruto's existence. He looked at Naruto. "What did he say? Did he recognize you?"

Naruto clenched her fists tight, the knuckles verging on white. "Not at first, but when he asked me my name, I attacked him. Then he did recognize me. When I was going in for my second hit, he grabbed me and… and…

The Kyuubi's eyes darkened. What had he done to her? "Tell me what he did to you, Naruto." Said the demon, his voice alarmingly calm.

"He… kissed me. The bastard kissed me! I wanna kick his ass for that, damnit!" She glowered.

While the Kyuubi didn't like the sound of that, he admitted that it could have been far worse. Still, he made a mental note to thoroughly_ explain_ the concept of "boundaries and consequence" next time he met the arrogant little brat.

"Where the fuck does he get off acting like that? Are the Uchiha brothers both gay or what?" The Kyuubi looked at the white-faced blonde with an expression of mild amusement.

"Naruto… You're female now. You of all people should remember the more exaggerated reactions from those you subjected to your 'perverted' Ninjutsu in the past. It's natural for males to react that way. Just know that I will not tolerate it for your sake and if I can prevent it, I will. Now come. I will take you to your team's meeting spot."

Naruto nodded and stood to her feet. The Kyuubi muttered something under his breath and in a moment Naruto was a male.

* * *

As they walked toward their destination, the Kyuubi eyed his charge appraisingly.

"What progress have you made in your meditation training?"

"A little bit. I got the wind to shield me today. When… Itachi came onto me, a stray gust made a small cut on him. But later, the wind didn't seems to think of him as a threat and so didn't hurt him anymore. I had to resort to my Rasengan."

The Kyuubi frowned as he got to the underlying point. "He came to you without malicious intent? Without threat?" Naruto bit her lip and nodded. She knew the Kyuubi wanted her to elaborate, but she didn't so he let it pass. The Kyuubi looked at the sky. "I didn't think you would be able to connect with the elements as easily as us. But wind was the first to respond, meaning it is your natural element. I want you to continue meditating and trying to summon earth. Later on we will together summon fire and water. Lightning is the simplest, so we'll do that for a while this afternoon." Naruto nodded.

"Hey, Bro, I forgot to ask; how was your first day at work?" The Kyuubi just nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I'd rather train you. Nothing entertaining as of yet."

Naruto kept smiling. "Well, ya say that now! Later on when you get more exciting missions, you'll get bored of home."

The Kyuubi chuckled, making Naruto pout. "You needn't worry, little one. Teaching you is far more fulfilling for me."

Naruto crossed her arms and huffed. "Don't I get a better name than 'little one'? I'm old enough to make my own!"

The Kyuubi chuckled as he tightened his grip on her shoulders. "Fine. Suggest a name you like. You may be the first child who chooses their own name." Naruto looked up at her guardian. "No, I meant my own kid! I wanted a better nickname, but I guess a new name might be good. I have a whole new body. I might as well start fresh."

Naruto looked pensive. As they approached Naruto's curious looking teammates the Kyuubi spoke up. "You have a lot of time to decide, Naruto."

Naruto only nodded.

When she turned to gaze upon her teammates, her smile turned into a frown. The Kyuubi noticed this and turned to look them. The Uchiha brat looked at Naruto with glacial eyes, but the Kyuubi could see something hidden in them. Something akin to... regret? Envy? He couldn't quite tell. Shaking his thoughts away, he turned to look down at Naruto as she walked ahead and leaned against the bridge. The Kyuubi raised an eyebrow. He could sense the tension in the air. Naruto's shoulder's were stiff. A flickering a gaze at Sasuke and Sakura, then back at Naruto only heightened the feeling. He was about to speak when Sasuke beat him to it, "Are you always going to be late, Loser?"

Naruto didn't even spare so much as a sideways glance. It made the Kyuubi strangely proud that she was able to control herself to such an extent. He ruffled her hair fondly and directed a sharp gaze at the Uchiha child.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

Sakura too looked like she had the same question on her mind. The Kyuubi scowled at the insolent tone the boy used. Out of the corner of his eyes he noticed Sakura tensed a little. However, Naruto chose to speak for him.

"Uzumaki Ryu, my older brother. I'd be careful with how you talk around him."

Sasuke snorted, but kept silent. He looked at 'Ryu' suspiciously before redirecting his gaze to Naruto. "What the hell is wrong with you these days? You're acting more retarded than usual."

Naruto cracked open her eyes and focused them on Sasuke. The Kyuubi watched in amusement as winds revolved discretely around Naruto, responding to her anger, even if Naruto herself did not know it. She looked steadily into Sasuke's eyes. " So why are you complaining, bastard?"

"Yo!" Sasuke's retort was cut short by Kakashi. The Jounin sighed at the tense atmosphere but himself tensed at the sight of the Kyuubi calmly observing Sasuke, disapproval clear in his eyes. "Uzumaki-san, if you don't mind me asking. Why are you here?"

The bijuu shrugged. "I was training Naruto and thought I'd drop him off, maybe take the opportunity to meet his teammates. What are your plans for today, Kakashi? Are there any missions?"

The Jounin shook his head and said, "No, no missions unfortunately. The Hokage thinks that this team deserves rest. I was thinking of training them. You are welcome to join us if you're available." Kyuubi looked at Naruto and the girl-disguised-as-a-boy nodded a little.

Smirking, he nodded to Kakashi. "Well, lets see how well you teach your students."

Kakashi was grateful that the Kyuubi had decided to join. He was still worried about Sasuke and Naruto was not helping by giving him a cold shoulder. She did not realize the full extent of her control. She did not see that she had a certain power over him; the power to change his views.

But then, who could blame her? As he looked over his shoulder at the Kyuubi and Naruto he realized that he had never seen that smile on her face, that smile was small, yet it was real. He was unsure what to think. On one hand she was opening up to the Nine-tails and on the other hand she closing herself from others, especially Sasuke. He sighed and looked at Sasuke, who was glancing at Naruto and the Kyuubi every now and then, suspicion evident in his eyes. Sakura seemed uneasy too. Kakashi shook his head and smiled ruefully under his mask

Sasuke closed his eyes and concentrated. He didn't want to think about any of this. He flinched when a hand landed on his shoulder and looked up to see Naruto's proclaimed brother. "_**Gaki**_, do you have any idea who and what I really am? What has happened here?"

Sasuke looked irritably nonplussed. "Do I really want to know?"

"That is not a question that I can answer for you. You are the cause of much grief to many people. I hope your destiny will redeem and liberate you, because your arrogant attitude will not." The Kyuubi said.

"I… I don't want to know, honestly. It's too much weight for me to carry and it really isn't my problem what's happened. All that matters is… what happens now." He said, clenching his fists with world-weary resolve.

The Kyuubi nodded at this. "You are right. Now is important, but it is not all that matters. Knowledge is the most powerful weapon anyone alive can wield, especially a warrior like yourself. By limiting your vision to yourself, you miss the subtleties of the world unfolding right before your eyes. For one whose family was made famous for their relative omniscience, you are all but blind. How pitiful."

His eyes were narrowed coldly, looking down upon Sasuke. It was infuriating! "Hey, fuck you! What do you want me to do? I screwed up and I made the wrong to follow my goddamn destiny. Should I crawl under a rock in disgrace? Should I kill myself? What the **_fuck_** do you want me to do, huh?"

"I want you to set things right. When you make a mistake, you repair the damage done to the best of your abilities. Any responsible adult will tell you the same. Or, if you like, you can remain a child all your life. Run, run, run… far, far away where the Sun never shines. Cling to your life and live in an unsightly way. Fill your heart with hate and throw it all away for your 'destiny.' It won't matter to me either way. Naruto is my only concern. Your choices are your own. We can only pray that when it comes to Naruto, you make the right choices. If not, may the Divine have mercy on your soul because I surely will not."

For the briefest moment, everything disappeared and Sasuke was transported to a night long ago, one he sorely wished to forget. Before him stood his brother, staring down at him with no remorse in his eyes_. _

_"Run, run… and cling to life. Live in an unsightly way and let the hate consume you. Only then will you become as I have. Only then will you be able to kill me…"_

His eyes warped hideously into the shape of the Managekyou Sharingan and then, as quickly as it had begun, the vision ended. The cruel eyes of his forsaken brother were replaced by those of Naruto's brother, and for the first time, Sasuke noticed… they were the same.

Sasuke immediately shut his eyes and buried his face in his palms. No, their words had not been identical, but they were close enough. Now he couldn't get the image out of his head. His brother just wouldn't leave him the fuck alone, would he? Furthermore, who the hell was this new "brother" of Naruto's who appeared out of nowhere and just started fucking with his head? He didn't like the vibe he got off this guy. He seemed… _evil_, somehow. And he could see right through this guy's coercion. This wasn't for him or even for any kind of greater good. This was about Naruto. And while Sasuke would admit that he probably owned the loser an apology, he was not particularly keen to follow through. Naruto didn't seem to be in a place to accept his sentiments rationally and this "Uzumaki Ryu" made him suspicious. Nevertheless, he relented.

"Alright, what do you want me to do then?" He asked, weary of the answer he might receive.

"I want you to open your true eyes and tell me what you see." Said the Kyuubi.

Sasuke understood what Ryu meant, despite the vague wording. He activated his Sharingan and looked around him. He was shocked cold by what he saw.

_No, there's… just no way this can be real._ His eyes grew wide.

"I assure you, Uchiha-boy," said the demon, "it is."


	4. Chapter 4

**S**asuke didn't believe his eyes. Was he hallucinating? He had to be, because the prospect of what he saw being genuinely real scared him half to death. In front of him stood, as before, a man. However in his shadow rose the ghost of a gargantuan nine-tailed fox. Its eyes glowed an unearthly scarlet, emitting such potent murderous intent that he was forced to take an involuntary step away from the monster. Swallowing his fear, Sasuke leveled his vocals and chose his words carefully. "So… you're the Nine-tailed Demon Fox? That shouldn't be possible. The Fourth killed you, didn't he?" Sasuke sighed inwardly. He'd managed to pull that line off without a single hitch. He was mildly impressed with himself for holding it together.

"You and your entire generation have been deceived. I cannot die, Sasuke. I am literally immortal. The only way your Fourth Hokage could defeat me was by sealing me away. And so he did, into the body of a newborn child. That child was looked upon like a monster growing up, rather than the hero that protected them all from that monster, being me."

Sasuke wasn't sure what to say to that. Was it true? Had the adults of the village really lied to him… to his entire _generation_, about what happened? It seemed a moot question to ask, as living proof of Konoha's dirty little secret. Sasuke's eyes widened when he realized there was something he had missed. "If you were sealed into a child, why are you free now? What happened to your prison?"

The Kyuubi chuckled darkly. "An apt question. Look around us and you will see my former container with your own eyes. She is among us."

_Among us? She?_ Sasuke whirled around, eyes scanning for any trace of a hidden presence. They were completely alone, aside from a few animals and the rest of his squad further away. Nothing.

"I don't have any idea what the hell you're talking about, you-" He turned once more to face the Kyuubi, only to find that he had vanished without a trace. When his gaze returned to his squad, he found that Naruto had also mysteriously disappeared. Neither Kakashi nor Sakura seemed to take notice. Sasuke began to question the reality of what just happened. And really, he reasoned as he gradually slipped back into character, these losers _still_ weren't worth Sasuke's precious time.

He left the training ground without a word to anyone and returned home. He drew himself a warm bath and allowed the confusion of the day to melt from his mind as the tension seeped out of his muscles. Later on, he casually dressed himself and left to run some errands.

* * *

Naruto lay lazily upon her plush bed as she watched the seconds tick away on a nearby clock. Her eyes were glazed and unfocused, conveying her vivid state of boredom. The Kyuubi had given her the day off, a rare thing for him to do. While she had fully planned to take advantage of it, the damn stupid fox refused to transform her for the day. Naruto still felt very insecure in her new skin. It didn't feel right to her to be a woman. She had lived her entire life as a boy and her mind was already wired like one. Sure, she had used her Oiroke no Jutsu in her earlier days to get a rise out of the pervy old men of the village, but this was different. She was trapped in that form, without the benefit of returning to her original form. Hell, this was her original form. She had no physical male counterpart to revert to. She felt disarmed and vulnerable in this body. Naruto hated it! The girl still half hoped that in the she'd wake up from this bad dream to find the rays of the morning Sun spilling over the horizon. Then he could start his day as he had before and continue training and completing missions as any normal ninja would do. Naruto knew better though. In the light of day, there was never any question before whether the world was a dream or not. Only in dreams did that kind of confusion exist. In the waking world, there was a continuous continuity. This was real life, whether she liked it or not.

So here was Naruto, now dwelling within the body of a teenage girl equivalent to her former self. Her limbs were strewn about as she lay lethargically on her back. She was bored out of her mind watching the seconds tick by upside-down to her glassy blue eyes. The monotony of the clock slowly distorted and became a distant and hollow ringing to her ears. Naruto's eyelids grew heavy and slowly descended, replacing her sight with darkness. Her mind began wander now and she came to remember her last mission. Her team was tasked with protecting a boy during an annual race to determine the dominant, law-making clan in the Tea Country. A former Leaf ninja who had defected to the Hidden Rain Village fought them with the stolen _Raijin no Ken_, the so-called "Sword of the Thunder God._"_

* * *

_"Take it back.…" _Those were the words of Sasuke, rising once more after being struck and blown back by some crazy lightning sword_. _The Chidori hadn't worked out so well last time, and that bastard Aoi had just called him the last and weakest of the Uchiha. That hadn't gone over so well with Sasuke.

_"Hmm?"_ Aoi's gaze focused on the Uchiha as he challenged him once more.

_"Take it back!"_ Sasuke repeated, raising his voice.

_"Take what back?"_ the Rain Jounin responded nonchalantly.

_"What you said just now."_ The Chidori burst to life once more in Sasuke's hand, its size and intensity growing far beyond those he had generated previously. _"Don't you dare underestimate me, the last survivor of the Uchiha Clan!"_

He charged the Ame Nin, the might of his Chidori tearing up the earth in its wake. Aoi raised the lightning blade to block, his face betraying some surprise. The power Sasuke had fed his attack was enough to force Aoi back, even as his feet dug into the ground.

_"You bastard!"_ screamed the prodigy, his Sharingan glaring wrathfully at his foe.

A small crack formed on the lightning blade, yielded by the most potent attack in Sasuke's arsenal. Still, it was not enough. The energies of the thunder blade soon canceled out those of the Chidori. The light this produced was bright enough to force all eyes to look away. But when the flash dimmed, a scream of agony tore its way from Sasuke's throat as he was very painfully electrocuted. The Sword of the Thunder God had lifted the Uchiha off his feet and trapped him in a continuous current. The boy continued to scream until he finally lost consciousness, at which point Aoi flung him at the nearby rope bridge. Sakura threw a kunai at Aoi to remove him from her path as she rushed to the Uchiha's aid.

_"The Bottom of the Sea will surely be cold,"_ the man said whimsically, cutting both remaining ropes holding up the bridge before anyone had time to react. Unfortunately, she was not quick enough to pull Sasuke to safety before the final roped that supported the bridge had been cut. The Uchiha's body was just too heavy for Sakura to hold onto and she quickly joined Sasuke in free-fall.

Naruto could only look on in horror as he saw his friends fall into the abyss. _"You bastard, you dare you do that to Sasuke and Sakura-chan!"_ Naruto yelled at the Ame Jounin.

_"Relax, I'll send you down there to visit them shortly,"_ the man said casually.

_"There's no way I'll lose that easily,"_ Naruto shot back.

Aoi narrowed his eyes and activated the Thunder Blade. Naruto summoned several dozen Shadow Clones and attempted to hit Aoi with the Rasengan numerous times before finally noticing the crack Sasuke had made in the sword. After that, it only took a very simple diversion using a few clones before he announced his presence above the Ame Jounin, Rasengan in hand. Predictably, Aoi raised the blade to block. That was just what Naruto had expected as he drove the Rasengan into the crack Sasuke had made with all his might, breaking all of the blade above the crack before landing in a crouch and driving the maelstrom of turbulent chakra straight into his opponent's chest, making him drop the broken hilt and sending him spiraling uncontrollably over the edge of the cliff, where he more than likely met his demise.

* * *

Naruto smiled to herself, glad that Sakura had stayed on her toes and saved both herself and Sasuke from a cold and murky death.

"That fight took a lot out of me," she mused, extracting a small bundle from her orange jacket, "but it was well worth the effort it took to win."

She unwrapped the cloth and looked at the finial-like brass handle it concealed. "I really should try to get this damn thing fixed up," she said to herself, totally tuning out that annoying ticking sound her analog clock continued to make.

"Hell, why not?" she said, rising from her bed and opening her closet to examine the wardrobe the Kyuubi had assembled for her. "Well I'll be a snake-faced pedo! This is a pretty sweet collection of girly clothes that furball got me. Let's see what looks good on me…" she said, shrugging the loosely tied cyan robe she wore from her shoulders and stepping from it stark naked. Well, unless you consider the Shodaime's necklace an article of clothing. She always wore that, ever since she'd won it from Tsunade for mastering the Rasengan in a week.

The memory of that brought a sly smile to her lips. She always had been a good gambler. Hell, she won the lottery her first try. While perhaps not the luckiest of her peers in the way of preexisting family and childhood friends, she often made up for it in some rather interesting ways. Perhaps she should hit the slots some time? That might be fun to do with Granny Tsunade some time. The old bird never could pass up a chance to blow a lot of cash on a continuous losing streak. Perhaps she should have a contest for whose streak lasted longer? That'd be a good idea, seeing as their luck would doubtlessly go in opposite directions. She made a mental note to propose such an excursion to the lady Hokage the very next time opportunity knocked. That in mind, she picked one she liked from the rack and tried it on. It was in keeping with her favorite color, being orange of course, but also bearing heavy black highlights. This one was a miniskirt and a matching jacket not unlike the kind she usually wore, but still radical enough that it didn't broadcast her rather high-profile masculine identity, both in the design and to a lesser degree its color scheme.

After much fumbling in trying to obtain the proper undergarments and then applying them and finding a suitable shirt to wear beneath the jacket, she stood before the full-length mirror in the corner of her room and admired her new look. She decided against trying her hair in the usual pigtails in an attempt to draw a little less attention to herself this time around. She grinned.

_That'll be the day, for sure,_ she thought to herself, chuckling a little as she did.

Naruto had to admit, this weird get-up looked good on her. It would take a little getting used to now that it wouldn't be too easy to switch back to her male form and she didn't feel nearly as arrogant as she did when the transformation had been as temporary as a few seconds of foolery and a quick return to normal for a laugh at whoever had been the victim of her Super-Secret-Ultimate-Anti-Pervert Ninja Art. Okay, so it was a modified henge. It had still worked like a charm whenever Naruto had used it in the past. She'd have to use a lot more discretion now that this form was permanent. Still, the attention whore in her couldn't help but dress with the intention of drawing looks from passers-by. The jacket, she left unzipped. The necklace of the Shodai dangled from her neck in plain view. The shirt and jacket were both short in length, ending just below her upper chest. Her abdomen stood on full display, as did the vast majority of her taut, slender legs.

It seemed like all of those Shinobi exercises hadn't gone to waste in defining her new body. Each and every muscle in her body was still in peak shape. Though she wasn't really ripped anymore, as Naruto had been when she was a boy, she still looked quite fit and healthy. Yes, she looked very attractive as a female and she'd be the first to admit it.

Then again, Naruto already knew what he'd look like as a girl and had known for a while now. Even still, she missed how she used to be. At least as a boy, Naruto had a secure identity. Now she felt like a stranger to her own body. Familiarity with the Oiroke no Jutsu only went so far. Naruto had only ever kept it active for a second or two most times. It was never enough time to feel the full array of sensations and their subtle transitions. It took a lot of getting used to now, but it seemed she'd lost none of her devious old charms.

She took one last look at the mirror before giving her overall appearance a wink. Having slipped into her zori, Naruto pocketed the broken chakra sword and made for the business district of the Leaf Village. The Sun gleamed brightly amidst fluffy white clouds of all shaped and sized, scattered all across the balmy summer sky.

Naruto walked the streets of Konoha as casually as she could. It felt awkward wearing as little as she was, but Naruto had seen women get away with worse every day. In fact, many of them were kunoichi themselves. That did little to settle the feeling of slight apprehension as her presence predictably drew a certain degree of attention from passers-by.

Naruto grimaced a little. So she was a kunoichi now? That didn't feel right, somehow. She'd received none of the kunoichi's special training in poison or disguise, though she supposed though would be easy enough to find elsewhere. She didn't know much about foreign cultures and even less about things like floral arrangement. Ceremony, she was a little more familiar with. Even then, what she knew wasn't very useful. Women played by a different set of rules than men in most ceremonies. They generally had more rules to follow in these. What were some other things they taught kunoichi? It was something like "The Nine Talents" if she recalled. Whatever class taught that was never one he paid a terrible amount of attention to. It made enough sense though. "_Ku_" (or "_kyuu_") was "nine" while "_no_" was obviously a possessive of "_ichi_", which was "one." It probably meant something like "nine skills in one (person)" but then, she'd never really paid attention in that class. Maybe she'd ask Sakura sometime. She'd probably know well enough to read the entire textbook passage back from memory. She didn't really know herself, but she guessed those "nine skills" were stuff like poison, deception, seduction and formal ceremony. Was close combat one of them? Eh… she didn't know. Fighting seemed a bit too generic, but it could have been. Three more of the skills were probably the usual "Nin-Gen-Taijutsu" deal. Naruto made a mental note to ask Sakura about it later.

Her thoughts drifted to her practice in the elements. She had improved her a lot in her training with the Kyuubi. She could manipulate the Wind properly but she was having trouble with the other elements. The Kyuubi had told her that each element had its own corresponding emotions. Wind responded to peace and tranquility because it usually caressed everything it passed by, providing comfort. Water responded to generosity and kindness, as it enriched the land so that plants and animals could thrive. Fire responded to passion and determination, as it blazed and inspired everyone. Earth, if she recalled correctly, responded to a focused calm, being strong and powerful, yet patient in its conquests. She had Wind down to a science now. Next would be… well, given her connection to the Bijuu it would likely be Fire.

Not far ahead, she spotted her destination. It was a Shinobi weapons shop run by one of the most prolific craftsmen in the Fire country, or so she'd heard. Not a minute later, she stood at the entrance. Swallowing any lingering apprehension she had for her new appearance, Naruto stepped into the shop and took a look around. The walls were lined with all kinds of lethal-looking blades. The sheer number of serrated edges and spikes made Naruto shiver as she imagined the copious amount of flesh those wicked-looking blades could rend. Some of the weapons were mounted within glass display cases. Though not all of them looked all that special, some really were a sight to behold. One of these in particular caught her eye. The design was comparable to a guardless double-edged jain, however that was not what drew Naruto's attention. The blade was totally black and looked more like some kind of glassy stone than an actual metal. It also seemed to… glow? Yes, it definitely had some type of aura surrounding it. Naruto found herself mesmerized by this sword. The edges looked sharp enough to cut through a ghost. The closer she scrutinized it, the more detail came into focus. Into the blade were etched an intricate series of symbols are other writings she was not at all familiar with. Her ears began to pick up a faint hum and a hideous reflection glared back at her.

"You have a good eye, my dear. That's the _Shinigami no Tsurugi_, a new arrival. It was dug recently from a ruin in the Cloud Country. It cost me more than this shop to get my hand on it," said a voice from behind.

Naruto, so entranced by the sword's eerie gleam, failed to hear anyone approach. She whirled around faster than she could think to see who had spoken. It was an old man, sixty or seventy by the look of him. His hair had long since lost all its color, but his eyes had not, still sparkling with some youthful mirth. He laughed heartily. "My name is Mayakashi Kougimaru and this is my shop! I've got the most deadly blades in all the Fire country, sold exclusively to Leaf Shinobi at the best prices around! Tell me now, what's your name, dear?"

Naruto blanched. Name? Okay, name… what was she supposed to say? Should she give her real name? No, she didn't want anyone to know who she was. A fake name, maybe? What would work…?

"Er… I'm Na- Nanako, Mayakashi-san. Ameraku Nanako." _Whew! That went well, didn't it?_

"Nanako…" the old man repeated to himself, "well, if you're a Konoha Nin looking for some new weapons, then this is the place. What can I get for you?"

"Uhm, I have this really cool chakra sword I picked up on a mission but it's broken. Think you could fix it up for me? I'd like to make it my own," she said, fishing out the brass hilt from her Shinobi tool pouch and handing it to the old man.

"Ooh, this is a special piece, here. It once belonged to the Nidaime Hokage. Its proper name is the _Raijin no Ken_, if I remember right. Where did you get something like this?" He asked incredulously.

Naruto tapped a finger on her chin thoughtfully. "I beat this Rain Jounin who was trying to take out my squad's client and he dropped it before falling into the ocean and freezing to death. He kicked my friend's ass with that sword, so it's gotta be powerful. I had to bust it to beat that guy though, so now it's not a very useful weapon anymore. Think you can fix it, Oji-san?"

Kougimaru examined the brass hilt, taking in its every little detail. It wasn't until he applied his own chakra to it that the weapon ignited with a sharp zap, and only the very base of the blade seemed intact. The rest was just gone. "I think I may be able to restore the blade somehow, but it will take some time," he said pensively, weighing the sword absentmindedly, "give me a few days with this thing. I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks a lot. I'll be back at the end of the week to check in, m'kay? G'luck, Oji-san!" she said, turning to leave.

"Always a pleasure, Ameraku-san," said the old man, taking the broken Raijin sword to the back room. When he returned to the front of the shop, he had a new visitor.

"Good to see you again, Uchiha-san." He said cordially. "Your order is ready now. All of your specifications have been met to the letter and I added the finishing touches myself, just last night. I believe you'll be quite pleased with the results, sir."

He presented his customer a carved wooden shikomizue-like sheath, painted black and concealing within it a steel chokutou blade of the highest quality.

"Hn." He drew the blade from its sheath with an echoing ring and his eyes grew wide as he saw how high the quality of the weapon was. "How much to I owe you…?" He fished out his wallet and sifted through it for the appropriate denominations. "Will this do?" he asked, handing the old man a fat roll of money. The shopkeeper examined the sum and determined it was adequate, nodding his head in approval and thanking the young man for his business as he turned to leave. Sasuke left the shop a satisfied customer, ready to try out his new weapon.

* * *

That little visit to the weapons shop had gone rather well and had boosted Naruto's confidence quite a bit that her appearance was nigh unrecognizable to most people she came across. Now, she felt like spending some time at the local bath house. A warm soak would do her good. Another thought occurred to her then. She'd be utilizing the female section of the hot spring. Naruto grinned to herself. It wasn't just any grin either. It was a lecherous one. It became a frown the moment she thought of Jiraiya. She hoped he wasn't anywhere near. She really did, for his sake if not for hers.

It was not yet noon when she reached the local hot spring and entered it. The woman at the front desk greeted her. Naruto gave her some money and in return she received a towel from the large shelf behind the desk and given the key to a locker in which to place her belongings while she enjoyed her time at the spring. She thanked the lady and entered the locker room. The _women's_ locker, Naruto noted with some glee.

Naruto walked the many isles of locker racks, seeking out her number. It didn't take long for her to find it, and even less time for her to strip naked, tossing her cloths haphazardly in an available basket and throwing it all into the locker without a second glance. All she had on now was her Shodai necklace and since Naruto rarely removed it, she didn't take notice. Either way, it was far too valuable to leave behind. Naruto picked up the provided towel and wrapped it around her waist. Being a boy for so long, it never really occurred to her that she might want to cover her chest. It didn't matter all that much to her anyway and she doubted anyone else would care too much.

Naruto quickly cleared the locker room and slid the wooden-paper door aside. Her senses were instantly filled with the subtle smell of sulfur and the air was sultry all around. A thick steamy mist obscured everything to half its normal visibility. Nonetheless, several eyes turned up at Naruto's initial entrance. Today looked like a relatively busy day. She didn't immediately recognize any of her fellow patrons, which could all be attributed to the obscuring mist. Oh, well. If she didn't meet anyone she knew, that was perfectly okay. She wouldn't mind the opportunity to see some of Konoha's finest ladies in the buff, but it wasn't all that high on her list of priorities.

She discarded her towel by the edge of a nearby pool and stepped into the water, watching with some idle fascination as her taut-yet-slender limbs disappeared into the steaming water with barely a sound. The rest of her body soon followed her legs as she relaxed against an aesthetic stack of large rocks. The warm water felt wonderful as it soaked into her muscles and soothed her whole body, taking away all of her minor aches and pains.

On the other side of the wooden divider, she heard the door slide open and then close. She paid it no mind, continuing resolutely in her enjoyment of this delightful hot spring.

"Ano… are you a Shinobi? You're very beautiful, by the way."

Naruto opened her eyes, seeking out the source of the new voice. Meek though it was, there was no stutter. Although, it sounded an awful lot like…

"Eh? Hin- er, I mean… Hello, there. Yeah, I'm a ninja, alright. What gave me away?" Naruto said, catching herself before she gave anything away.

"You're in really good physical shape, but what I really noticed was that necklace of yours. It's very special, you know," said the girl, her voice quiet but uncharacteristically steady.

"Yeah," Naruto said softly, running her fingers lightly over the jewel, "I know it is…"

There was a short, mildly awkward silence before the girl spoke up again. "My name is Hinata… that is, I'm Hyuuga Hinata," she said, avoiding eye contact. "What's your name?" she asked.

_Finally! Now I can use her name without looking suspicious. I still don't want to give myself away, so I'll use that name I made up earlier. That should work… I think._

Outwardly, however, Naruto's response was a cordial "Nice to meet chya, Hinata! I'm Nanako. That's _Ameraku_ Nanako, don't ya know! You can just call me the number one most unpredictable ninja alive. That works fine too," said Naruto, tossing a big wink and a 'thumbs-up' at the bewildered-looking Hyuuga girl.

"Wow, you really are a lot like… someone I know," she said, turning her head away to hide the slight blush blooming in her cheeks.

"I do? That's weird. I didn't think there were a whole lot of people like me out there, let alone in the same village. Poor Konoha, huh?" said Naruto, accompanied by a mirthful chuckle on her part. "No worries though, who are ya talkin' about anyway?" she asked, cocking her head quizzically.

"He's… someone I admire. He never seems to notice me though," Hinata said, her face no longer turned away, but remaining downcast.

"So it's a boy I remind you of? How flattering!" she said, laughing heartily now. The poor Hyuuga girl sunk deeper into the pool to hide her sudden embarrassment. "No, it's alright. I'm not offended or anything. I am kinda boyish, ain't I?" Naruto couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. _New body or not, I guess I'm still me inside. _"So tell me more about this guy I remind you of. What's he like?" Though perhaps glaringly obvious, Naruto didn't really have any idea who Hinata was _actually_ talking about. _It couldn't be anyone I know, 'cause I still haven't met any "evil twins" of mine. Heh…  
_

"Well… he's really strong. Always seems to have a smile on his face… never gives up, even when the chips are down. He's only my age, but I've never been so inspired by anyone in my life but him. God, he's so strong, so powerful… I don't think I could ever surpass him, no matter how hard I tried. And his creed, his 'Way of the Ninja', is one I found so noble I want nothing more than to make it my own. With all my heart, I want to make it my _Way of the Ninja_, no matter what it takes," she said, her tone obviously conveying a deep sense of revere for whomever it she was talking about.

"Wow, this guy must be the real deal, huh? You should tell him how you feel, I think. Things are always easier and more simple when you're straightforward and honest with people. Whoever he is, I'm sure he'd be honored you think so much of him. Ever think of just doing that?" Naruto was now making a conscious effort to establish some direct eye contact with the other girl, all the while wracking her brain for anyone she knew of that might match such a profound description. She wasn't coming up with any conclusive results so far. The only person she really knew of that matched that kind of description was…

"You… you're right. I really should, but whenever I get close to him I can't help but feel really nervous. I get the feeling that I'm burning up inside and if he gets too close, I just pass out. Too much blood going to my head, ya know?" The Hyuuga's response immediately drew Naruto out of her thoughts and now, she found herself contemplating these words.

"You pass out? Like, faint? That sure sucks, I bet. It's like being unable to express your feelings, no matter how much you want to. Hey, maybe I could help you out. I don't scare that easy, but if this guy is really that amazing, why hasn't he figured it out yet? The way you say you react should be pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain," said Naruto in a matter-o-fact tone, nodding sagely.

"Yeah, I am pretty obvious, huh? All of my friends notice, but I guess he doesn't. Maybe he just doesn't like me that way, but I wish he did. I wish… I just wish he'd acknowledge me is all, I guess. I don't need flowers or kisses or anything romantic like that. I just want him to see me and to know how much I look up to him, how highly I think of him. That'd be enough for me, really. I don't know if it will ever happen, but I do wish could…" She sounded sad, almost… wistful.

"Hey, I'm sure he would appreciate how you feel about him. I'd be very flattered to have someone who idolized to me like that. You just need to have more confidence in yourself. If he doesn't notice you on his own, then you have to make him notice you. If you don't take it into your own hands and make sure it gets done, then there aren't too many other people who will do it for you. It's not a crime to want to be happy and to want people to notice you. I think acknowledgment is something everyone craves deep down. It's only natural to want what you do. And trust me when I say that the greatest thing you'll ever know is just to love and be loved in return." Though Naruto wasn't entirely sure where the words came from, they seemed fitting to her.

"I… I guess you're right. I just… I wish it could be different. I wish I didn't have to work to hard to achieve what everyone else seems to already have. Confidence, I mean."

"Hey, we all have our shortcomings. I think it's part of what helps us grow. If we were all born perfect, the life wouldn't ever be as beautiful as it is. The world would be a very boring place without its flaws."

"So then… what can I do to overcome them?" Hinata said, now looking curiously at the other girl.

"Well… that's not really something I can tell you. It's different for all of us. Beating your own weaknesses is part of growing up. I can't tell you how to do it. It's something you'll have to figure out for yourself," she said.

"So then… what's love?"

Naruto's eyes developed a kind of shimmering, faraway quality to them as her gaze traveled skyward. "Love is… well, that's a really good question. Everyone has their own ideas of what it is or isn't. Most people tend to mixing it up with lust. I don't think that's true. To me, love is something that only happens when people really get to know each other. I never believed in any of that 'love at first sight' crap. What they're thinking of is more physical. Love is when you see someone for who they really are and you accept them for it. It doesn't have to be a mutual thing, but if you really care about someone and you see them as a complete person, with all their strengths and weaknesses and you still accept them for it and feel out-and-out, unconditional compassion for them, then that's love. When you'd be willing to lay down your life for that person without a second thought, you'll know."

"I've always thought it was something like that, but I never really knew until you said it that way. Now I know…" She said, looked down and clenching her fist resolutely.

"Know what?" Said Naruto, giving the Hyuuga girl an inquisitive look.

"That I love him." She said, a kind of burning intensity, like fire, in her eyes.

"Okay, I'll bite. Who is it?" Naruto asked as her curiosity got the better of her.

"Uzumaki Naruto-kun, the one I admire."

* * *

Here are some of the foreign terms I mentioned.

Shinigami no Tsurugi: Sword of the Death God.

Shodai: "First" or "Founding" referring to the First and Founding Hokage.

Shikomizue: A sword mounting designed to conceal or hide the blade by making it not look like a sword. Historically, this mounting was used almost exclusively with the shinobi.

Chokutou: A type of Japanese sword that dates back to pre-Heian times. The design was generally straight and single-edged (sometimes partially double) with a curved tip.

Jain: The specific kind I described is similar to Orochimaru's Grass Cutter Sword. It's a type of Chinese sword whose blade is totally straight, kind of like a Bronze Age long sword. It's a double-edged straight sword used during the last 2,500 years in China.


End file.
